cam timing on 318

[lbman]

ok may have screwed up. been a long time since i have had a motor apart.
I was replacing jumped timing chain on my 64 PW. It has a 318-1 from a 78.
I put timing marks on cam at 6 and crank at 12. it will not fire!
If i was not on TDC compression stroke and instead on the intake stroke will this just put my timing 180 degrees out? or do I need to pull it apart again?
thanks
LB

[MoparFreak69]

The proper way to time the cam is to point the dots together on the timing gears. The way I do it is to take a ruler, or other straight edge, and place it in the center of the crank and cam. When the dots fall right beside my straight edge I know I am good. If you pointed both the dots up then the distributor would be 180 out, otherwise it should be in proper time.

[lbman]

timing gears set up/Distributor WoWs

Hi thanks for the reply. I set cam down and crank up..
well turns out I was OK on that. after messing with it most of the day I finely got it running enough to put on a timing light. Ran pretty good . set timing at 5 degrees BTDC. ran ok there. I wanted 10 but it started hard.
I was satisfied with it and how it started. I installed vacuum advance hose and it
DIED!!!!i set points at 17 w/ a feeler gauge. so I know that's OK. I UN-plugged vac hose, it fired right up. I increased throttle and tried to plug vac.hose back on to carb. RAN like Crap!!!! so looks like I had better get a new distributor. I had it out to set points. Looked it over pretty good too..????hmmm pretty simple looking...something must be shorting to points when the plate moves..
why ME??? LoL
any Ideas on that one?
Larry B

[712edf]

How does it start/idle/run/drive W/O the vacuum advance hooked up at all? If it does all of the above well then I'd forget about the vacuum advance.

Bucky

[lbman]

Distribtor problems

Well. it is not running that good yet. I feel I can get it running better. I might even upgrade to A pointless distributor. If I can find one at a wrecking yard. I priced a new MSD set up..holly Cow they are proud of them. So I ain't goin that route for sure. I will look around. In the meantime i will pop off the distributor. and take a careful, look see. another words ..tear that sucker apart!. there has to be something loose in there for this to be happening.
the springs are in place for the weights. bearing is good on shaft. hmm I have worked on a lot of stuff and never seen this one before.
thanks
LB

[712edf]

If you go to an electronic system, a Chrysler Electronic Ignition would maybe be least expensive & sufficient. Personally I'm a magneto user, but thats way too expensive for what you need.

A new point type distributor is available for less than $50 at many major parts suppliers.

Bucky

[lbman]

distribtor wows

yup they are cheep enough. I was going to replace it when I bought truck a year ago from guy I work with. We had all kinds of problems getting it running then. but he said he had already R&R Dist. When I put a timing light on it then I knew the chain was loose. It must have already jumped a tooth back then. truck would Not take off in 2nd gear. lol no power ! . It's OK now but does have a miss in it . I have the ballast resistor jumped out, it broke last week. I went to NAPA and they sold me a coil with the resistor built into it.
How the heck does that work with no full voltage going to coil on start up?
The carb was plugged up also from sitting so much. but i found a gasket set for it and went through it. the enrichener circuit is worn out.
I picked up a 318-3 motor from this guy last week.was going to swap that out but it has some rust in 2 cylinder from sitting. He had it rapped in plastic but the NW WA rain got into the exhaust ports.. I will pull it apart and go through it.I will build it up to get some more horse power. but for now this will work.
we are trying to buy a 7 1/2 acre horse ranch. so NO extra Money. once we get settled in I will finely have a place to put the 63W200 ambulance under cover so i can restore it !!!!
LB